5 Autumn Car Checks Every Driver Should Do
Autumn sneaks up fast. One week, you’re driving home in daylight, and the next? You’re squinting through drizzle and switching on the heater for the first time.
It’s the season when our car quietly works harder than we might realise. Batteries lose charge faster, tyres grip less, and visibility drops just as the roads get busier. But with a few quick checks, Drivers can avoid unnecessary stress, save money on repairs, and stay safe through the colder months.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
Why cold starts are tougher on your car than you think
How to stay in control when the roads turn slick
Lights, wipers, and screens that keep you seen
Keeping your car balanced before frost sets in
Small essentials that make a big difference
These checks take minutes but can make all the difference between a smooth autumn and a breakdown in the rain.
Let’s start from the top.
Cold starts take their toll: so check your battery!
When temperatures drop, your battery works harder than any other part of your car, and it often gives up with little warning. Cold air slows the chemical reactions that power your battery, meaning it takes more energy to start the engine just when the battery is at its weakest.
If your car hesitates when you turn the key or the dashboard lights flicker before ignition, it’s your early warning sign. Many Drivers ignore it until the car simply won’t start on one frosty morning, which often coincides with the one day you’re running behind!
A quick battery check can save you long-term pain. Look for corrosion around the terminals, and if your battery is more than three years old, get it tested. Most garages (and breakdown services) will do this in minutes, and it’s often free.
If your vehicle’s used mostly for short journeys, consider giving it a longer run once a week to keep the battery healthy. Or, if it sits unused for long periods, a small trickle charger can prevent slow discharge.
A healthy battery powers your lights, heating, wipers, and safety systems - making Autumn evenings that little bit more manageable.
Don’t forget your tyres and grip
Autumn roads look harmless enough, until they’re not. Wet leaves, colder air, and early frost can all turn an ordinary corner into something unpredictable. Your tyres are the only part of your car that actually touches the road, which makes them your first line of defence when the weather changes.
Start by checking the tread depth. The legal minimum is 1.6mm, but once it drops below 3mm, performance in the wet drops sharply; braking distances increase, and grip fades fast. If your tyres are nearing that limit, autumn is the right time to replace them.
Make sure to also check for uneven wear or small cracks, especially around the edges. These can be early signs of misalignment or ageing rubber. Keep your pressures topped up too: they tend to dip with colder weather, which affects both the efficiency of your fuel and your control.
If you drive long commutes or live somewhere rural, consider switching to all-season tyres. They’re built for grip in the damp and stay more flexible in the cold, without needing a full winter set.
A few minutes spent checking your tyres can dramatically change how your car feels on the road, making it quieter, more stable, and far less likely to surprise you when the surface gets slick.
Stay seen, with lights, wipers, and screens
Autumn is when visibility quietly disappears. The sun sits lower, the glare lasts longer, and dark evenings arrive earlier every day. Add in mist, drizzle, and a few stubborn streaks across your windscreen, and you’ve got a recipe for hidden hazards.
Start with your lights. Headlights, indicators, brake lights, and number plate bulbs all play a part in keeping you visible to others. Replace anything dim or flickering, and clean the lenses; they gather grime faster in damp air than most people realise.
Next up, your wipers. If they smear, skip, or squeak, it might be time for new ones. Even a small streak can distort glare from headlights and make a wet road look far worse than it is. While you’re there, top up the washer fluid with a winter-ready mix that won’t freeze overnight.
And don’t forget the inside of your windscreen. A quick wipe with a clean microfibre cloth helps prevent that annoying morning fog build-up, and keeps you from having to blast the heater for ten minutes before you can see out!
When you can see clearly, you react faster, drive smoother, and feel more in control, no matter how gloomy the morning gets.
Fight the frost with fluids and coolant
As temperatures drop, your car’s fluids do a lot more work behind the scenes. Engine oil thickens, washer fluid freezes, and coolant has to strike a careful balance between preventing frost and keeping the engine at the right temperature.
Start with your coolant (or antifreeze); it’s easy to forget, but it’s vital in cold weather. Check that the level sits between the minimum and maximum marks on the tank, and top it up if needed.
Washer fluid is another one that often gets overlooked. Water alone will freeze in the nozzles, so use a winter-ready mix. The good news? It’s cheap, quick to fill, and saves you from that awful squeak of dry wipers on a windscreen.
If you’re not sure when your oil was last changed, autumn’s a good time to do it. Cold starts are hard on engines, and fresh oil keeps things running smoothly when temperatures dip.
A few minutes spent checking fluids now can stop far bigger problems later, like frozen lines, overheating, or unexpected dashboard lights on a freezing morning. It’s the kind of maintenance that never makes headlines but keeps your car quietly dependable when you need it most.
Consider a seasonal safety kit
Even the best-maintained car can’t control everything. A sudden traffic jam, a burst of rain, or a frosty morning can turn a short drive into an unexpected wait. That’s why it’s worth keeping a few essentials in the car once autumn arrives.
Start with the basics: an ice scraper, de-icer, and a good-quality torch. Add a warm blanket, a spare phone charger, and a bottle of water. A high-visibility vest and a small first-aid kit are also smart additions, especially if you drive in rural areas or on early-morning commutes.
None of these things take up much room, and many might never be needed: but if you do break down or get delayed on a cold, dark evening, you’ll be glad they’re there.
Autumn is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you have to be unprepared.
Driving safely this season
Autumn has a way of catching Drivers off guard, with darker evenings, sudden showers, and those quiet mechanical issues that appear just when you’re on a job. But most of the time, staying ahead of it all comes down to small habits: a few minutes of checking, a bit of extra care, and an awareness of how the season changes the roads.
Look after the basics before the weather turns. Test your battery, check your tyres, clean your lights, and make sure your fluids are topped up. These are simple things, but they make every shift safer and every journey smoother, especially when you’re covering long hours behind the wheel.
At Zippe, safety and reliability start with our Drivers. Taking a little extra time for these checks helps protect you, your vehicle, and your customers.
Don’t drive with us yet? Discover what it’s like to work with Zippe.